Tenino Planning Commission to interview two applicants and confirms 2026 chair

The Tenino Planning Commission approved its Jan. 14, 2026 agenda and amended minutes, and agreed to interview two residents who applied in December to fill a vacant commissioner seat.

S4, a city representative, told the commission the city has “two applicants applicants, right now that are interested in serving” and noted one application bore a Dec. 5 date and the other Dec. 16. Commissioners agreed both applicants “sound wonderful on paper” and encouraged both to attend a meeting so the commission could interview them and recommend a nominee to the city council, with the aim of seating a new member before the March meeting.

The commission also resolved a leadership question for 2026. After a short discussion about chair duties and residency, S2 moved “to confirm Will as the chair for the 2026 Planning Commission”; S5 seconded the motion and the body approved it by voice vote. S1 opened the meeting by saying, “Let the record show that all commissioners are present.”

Procedural actions taken that evening included approving the agenda (motion by S2, second by S3) and approving the December minutes as amended to reflect the resignation of Adam from the commission (motion by S2; second by S1). No public comments were recorded.

Next steps: staff will schedule interviews with the two applicants and prepare a recommendation for the city council, and commissioners said they will continue to identify priorities for the year.